Banana Empire heir wins Ecuador’s election

The vote took place against the backdrop of a series of political assassinations

Banana fortune heir Daniel Noboa won the second round of Ecuador's presidential election on Sunday, national officials reported. The elections took place amid unprecedented violence, which had claimed the lives of two politicians, including one candidate.

Noboa, 35, will become the youngest president in the country’s history. With about 96% of the votes counted, he received 52.2%, according to official election tallies. Challenging him for victory was Luisa González, a left-wing lawyer and ally of exiled former president Rafael Correa who garnered 47.8%.

“I believe that the trend is irreversible, and today, we begin to build a new Ecuador,” ​​Noboa said at his polling station, where he voted wearing a bulletproof vest.

Noboa will lead Ecuador during a period of extraordinary violence. The first round took place in August under a state of emergency, which was introduced after the murder of one of the candidates, Fernando Villavicencio. 

A group of unknown assailants shot Villavicencio three times in the head after an election rally. A local politician, Pedro Briones, the leader of the left-wing “Civil Revolution” party, was shot and killed on August 15 near his home.

The surge in violence has been associated with the cocaine trade, as Mexican, Colombian and Balkan cartels have settled in Ecuador and now operate with the assistance of local criminal gangs.

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Noboa will only serve as president until May 2025, the end of the term of outgoing President Guillermo Lasso, who was elected in 2021. On May 9, 2023, the Ecuadorian Parliament adopted a proposal to begin impeachment proceedings against Lasso due to suspicions of his involvement in a corruption scheme. Lasso signed a decree dissolving parliament and calling for new presidential and parliamentary elections, but did not participate in them himself.

Noboa, a US-educated businessman, was employed by his father's company Noboa Corp., where he has held leadership positions in shipping, logistics and commercial activities. 

Noboa is the son of Alvaro Noboa, Ecuador's richest man. The elder Noboa owns a conglomerate which grows and ships bananas and includes more than 128 companies worldwide.

While his father ran for president unsuccessfully five times, Daniel Noboa began his political career in 2021, when he won a seat in the National Assembly and chaired its Economic Development Commission. 

Russian Ambassador to Ecuador Vladimir Sprinchan commented on the election results on Monday, telling RIA Novosti that he expects Noboa's government to “pursue a practical, balanced line regarding cooperation with Russia, which is a very important economic partner of Ecuador.”